Dedicated

Posted on October 15, 2024 by SUMPTER

After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated his body was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. 150 years ago today a large monument at the Lincoln grave site was dedicated. In its October 24, 1874 issue Harper’s Weekly described the monument:

THE LINCOIN MONUMENT
AT SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

Harper’s Weekly October 24, 1874 p990

WE give on this page an illustration of the monument erected at Springfield, Illinois, in honor of President LINCOLN, which includes a bronze statue of the President modeled by Mr. LARKIN G. MEAD. The statue was put in its place on the 3d inst., and was formally unveiled on the 15th in the presence of a vast assemblage of people from all parts of the country. It stands on the south side and in front of the shaft, about thirty feet above the ground. President GRANT and many other distinguished guests, both civil and military, were present at the ceremony. The statue is an excellent and characteristic likeness of Mr. LINCOLN. The figure is represented as dressed in the double-breasted long frock-coat and the loose pantaloons which were the fashion ten or twelve years ago, and consequently make the form appear somewhat more full and robust than Mr. LINCOLN really was. The portraiture of the statue is realistic in its fidelity. The rather stooping shoulders, the forward inclination of the head, manner of wearing the hair, the protruding eyebrows, the nose, the mouth, with the prominent and slightly drooping lower lip, the mole on his left cheek, the eyes sitting far back in his head, the calm, earnest, half-sorrowful expression of the face, all recall to the minds of his old friends and neighbors the simple-mannered, unaffected man who lived among them until he was called away to enter upon the duties of Chief Magistrate of the nation.

As will be seen from our engraving, Mr. LINCOLN is represented with his left hand resting upon fasces, around which are gracefully folded the Stars and Stripes. Mr. LINCOLN is represented as having just signed the Proclamation of Emancipation, and in his left hand he holds a scroll marked “Proclamation;” in the right hand he holds a pen. The coat of arms upon the face of the pedestal on which the statue stands represents the American eagle standing upon a shield partly draped by the flag, with one foot upon a broken shackle, and in his beak the fragments of a chain which he has just broken to pieces.

The monument is constructed in the most substantial manner of Quincy granite. In the base are two chambers. The one shown in our engraving is called Memorial Hall, and contains some interesting relics of the late President. The other, on the north side, contains the caskets inclosing the remains of Mr. LINCOLN and his little son “Tad.” The opening above Memorial Hall is the entrance to the winding stairs leading to the top of the monument. The several subordinate groups of figures shown in our engraving are not yet placed in position. Each group is intended to represent a branch of the service of the United States.

The monument was erected under the superintendence of Mr. W.D. RICHARDSON, from the design of Mr. LARKIN G. MEAD. The base is seventy-four feet on each side and twenty high, the total height to the top of the shaft being one hundred and twenty feet. The structure cost $250,000.

In its October 16, 1874 issue The Chicago Daily Tribune covered the dedication ceremony. It was a major event with thousands in attendance. Even the generally quiet Ulysses S. Grant spoke a few prepared words. From page 2 of the newspaper:

SPEECH OF GEN. GRANT.

Gen. Grant was loudly called for and read the following address:

never revengeful

MR. CHAIRMAN, LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN: On an occasion like the present, I feel it a duty on my part to bear testimony to the great and good qualities of the patriotic man whose earthly remains now rest beneath this dedicated monument. It was not my fortune to make the acquaintance of Mr. Lincoln until the beginning of the last year of the great struggle for national existence. During those years of doubting and despondency among the many patriotic men of the country, Abraham Lincoln never for a moment doubted but that the final result would be in favor of peace, union, and freedom to every race in this broad land. His faith in an all-wide Providence directing our arms in this final result was the faith of the Christian that his Redeemer liveth. Amidst obloquy, personal abuse, and hate undisguised, and which was given vent to without restraint through the press, upon the stump, and in private circles, he remained the same staunch, unyielding servant of the people, never exhibiting a revengeful feeling towards his traducers, but he rather pitied them, and hoped, for their own sake and the good name of their posterity, that they might desist. For a single moment it did not occur to him that the man Lincoln was being assailed, but that a treasonable spirit, one willing to destroy the freest Government the sun ever shone upon, was giving vent to itself upon him as the Chief Executive of the nation, only because he was such Executive. As a lawyer in your midst, he would have avoided all this slander, for his life was a pure and simple one, and no doubt he would have been a much happier man; but who can tell what might have been the fate of the nation but for the pure, unselfish, and wise administration of a Lincoln? From March, 1864, to the day when the hand of an assassin opened a grave for Mr. Lincoln, then President of the United States, my personal relations with him were as close and intimate as the nature of our respective duties would permit. To know him personally was to love and respect him for his great qualities of heart and head, and for his patience and patriotism. With all his disappointments from failures on the part of those to whom he had intrusted command, and treachery on the part of those who had gained his confidence but to betray it, I never heard him utter a complaint, nor cast a censure for bad conduct or bad faith. It was his nature to find excuses for his adversaries. In his death, the nation lost its greatest hero. In his death, the South lost its most just friend.

The Chicago Daily Tribune October 16, 1874 page 1

1883, from Northeast

attempted theft of Lincoln’s remains in 1876

Larkin G. Meade

1883, from South side

last group (Cavalry) put in place March 1883

The Daily Tribune report included several notes from famous people who regretted not being able to attend the monument dedication. Many of these fought in the Civil War. For example, James Longstreet wrote from New Orleans, and Ambrose Burnside wrote from Chicago on October 14th – he was actually on his way to the ceremony when he found out he had to head back East right away.

__________

150 years ago there was talk of President Grant possibly running for a third team in 1876. The cover of the Harper’s Weekly October 24 issue featured a cartoon by Thomas Nast that suggested Grant might not be too pleased by the prospect. Columbia can’t bear to watch the president’s struggles.

Harper’s Weekly 10-24-1874

circa 1865

2005

The October 24, 1874 issue of Harper’s Weekly is at HathiTrust. David Jones 2005 photograph of Lincoln’s tomb is licensedunder the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license. I didn’t make any changes.
From the Library of Congress: The October 16, 1874 issue of The Chicago Daily Tribune; a portrait of President Lincoln – “Published in: Lincoln’s photographs: a complete album / by Lloyd Ostendorf. Dayton, OH: Rockywood Press, 1998, p. 160., “A crafty and determined president photographed by Lewis E. Walker, Washington, D.C., about 1863. Observe the almost casual attire, with the unbuttoned coat and the familiar watch chain hanging from the side pocket instead of the vest. The only personal ornament worn by Lincoln in any photograph is a watch chain. This heavy chain of hair-thin braided gold was presented to him in 1863 by a California delegation.”, “(Source: Ostendorf, p. 160)” I think the photographer is Lewis Emory Walker. There is a Lewis E. Walker from Western New York who owned a bookstore store and published stereographs; tomb 1883 from northeast with description; Larkin G. Meade; tomb 1883 from South with more detailed description than the Harper’s Weekly piece; James Longstreet; Ambrose E. Burnside Lincoln’s tomb, circa 1865.
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Fall River Fire

Posted on September 30, 2024 by SUMPTER

On September 19, 1874 a very destructive fire at a mill in Fall River, Massachusetts killed or injured many of the employees. In its October 10, 1874 issue Harper’s Weekly analyzed the fire and highlighted the heroism of a young man (page 835):

THE FALL RIVER DISASTER.

Harper’s Weekly October 10, 1874

THE full accounts of the burning of the Granite Mill at Fall River, of which we give several illustrations on page 841, show that the means of escape provided were entirely inadequate to the emergency. The mill was a large structure, 328 feet long, 70 feet wide, and six stories in height. Over 330 persons were employed on the premises, of whom 87 were on the fifth and sixth floors and 36 on the fourth floor, where the fire originated in the machinery. The ordinary means of exit were a stone tower in the middle and outside of the building, with a wooden stairway connecting with each floor, and an elevator running from the basement to the upper story. There were besides several fire-escape iron ladders fixed on the walls, and communicating with the floors at the windows. It was doubtless thought that these means were ample, and that had there been no panic all the operatives might have escaped in safety. But there was a panic, as there always must be at such a time, and means of escape can not be considered ample that do not provide for such an emergency. If people threatened by death in one of its most horrible forms could keep cool and collected, they could make use of the means provided for their safety; but as a matter of fact they do not keep cool, they always grow frantic and lose their senses, and this is just what must be provided for. In the case of the Fall River disaster, the flames almost immediately spread to the wooden stairway in the tower and cut off that means of escape. Then the machinery was stopped, and the elevator was rendered useless. There remained only the iron fire escapes. To descend from the top of a lofty building by a perpendicular ladder is not an easy matter for a woman or child at any time; it is preposterous to suppose that they could save themselves in this way with the building filled with blinding, suffocating smoke, the flames bursting through every floor, and every window crowded with frantic people. Panic and confusion were inevitable. Women and children threw themselves from the windows, and were dashed to pieces on the ground. Even the fire-escapes were soon rendered inaccessible by the progress of the flames, and had there been no panic would have been useless. One brave and collected man, JOHN N. BOSWORTH, a sailor, who had just reached Fall River in search of work, rescued two persons from the flames at the risk of his own life. He gained the roof of the mill, made a strong rope fast, and by this means descended to the ground, carrying a woman on his back. Ascending again by climbing the rope, he rescued a boy in the same manner. The progress of the fire prevented another return. He subsequently recovered nine bodies from the still burning mill, venturing in so reckless of his own safety that his clothing several times took fire. We give his portrait from a photograph taken immediately after the disaster.

Both The Chicago Daily Tribune and The New York Herald reported the fire in their September 20th issues. The Herald mentioned Bosworth’s bravery, but the details were different than Harper’s: “The hero of the calamity is a young fellow named Bosworth, who lowered one woman on the end of a rope and then took another in his arms and descended safely with her down the same rope to the ground. A moment later and the flames had burned the upper end of the rope so that it was no longer available.” In its September 21, 1874 issue (page 3) the Worcester Daily Press said “The Truth Worse Than the First Reports.”

Tribune from page 1

Herald from page 5

page 5 on Bosworth

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Battle in New Orleans

Posted on September 14, 2024 by SUMPTER

Harper’s Weekly October 3, 1874

According to Eric Foner in Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877, every election in Louisiana “between 1868 and 1876 was marked by rampant violence and pervasive fraud.” The results of the 1872 Louisiana gubernatorial election were highly disputed. Both carpetbagger Republican William P. Kellogg and Democrat John McEnery initially claimed victory. Eventually the federal government certified Kellogg as the winner of the election, but the Democrats were bitter about the situation. McEnery still believed he was the rightful governor. He organized his own militia, which in March 1873 attempted but was unable to take control of New Orleans police stations. During the Colfax Massacre in April 1873, “An estimated 62–153 Black militia men were murdered while surrendering to a mob of former Confederate soldiers and members of the Ku Klux Klan. Three White men also died during the confrontation.”

In 1874 the White League was formed. The League was “openly dedicated to the violent restoration of white supremacy. It targeted local Republican officeholders for assassination, disrupted court sessions, and drove black laborers from their homes.” In August the League killed six Republican officials in Red River Parish. The next month the White League started an insurrection in New Orleans with the goal of installing McEnery as governor. On September 14th, “3,500 leaguers, mostly Civil War veterans, overwhelmed an equal number of black militiamen and Metropolitan Police under the command of Confederate Gen. James Longstreet, and occupied the city hall, statehouse, and arsenal.” The insurrection ended when President Grant sent in more federal troops.

Harper’s Weekly provided some coverage about the Battle of Canal Street (or the Battle of Liberty Place) in each of its October 1874 issues. Here’s a summary of events from the October 3rd paper:

cast of characters

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

On September 14 a mass-meeting of the citizens of New Orleans was called to protest against the recent seizure of arms intended for the White League. A large concourse of men gathered in Canal Street, and adopted resolutions calling upon Governor Kellogg to “abdicate.” The Governor refused to accede to the demand. Mr. D.B. Penn, who had been Democratic candidate for Lieutenant-Governor at the last State election in Louisiana, then issued a proclamation, in which he charged Kellogg with having usurped the government, and called upon “the militia of the State, embracing all males between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, without regard to color or previous condition, to arm and assemble under their respective officers for the purpose of driving the usurpers from power.” In response to this appeal crowds of armed men took possession of the city, erected barricades, defeated and dispersed the Metropolitan Police under General Longstreet, and compelled Governor Kellogg to seek the protection of the United States troops stationed at the Custom-house. Six or eight of the insurgent citizens and twenty or thirty of the police were killed during the fighting, and quite a large number were wounded on both sides. General Badger was severely wounded. Immediately on receiving official intelligence of this outrage, President Grant issued a proclamation, September 16, commanding the disturbers of the peace to disperse within five days. A concentration of United States troops at New Orleans was also ordered, under General Emory, commanding at that place. The firm attitude of the general government had its effect on the White Leaguers. They knew they had to deal with a man of stern resolution, and on the 18th, two days after the issue of the President’s proclamation, General Emory reported to Governor Kellogg the surrender of the insurgents and the re-establishment of order. There was no conflict between the insurgents and the United States troops.

another Fort Sumter? (Harper’s Weekly October 3, 1874)

Harper’s Weekly October 17, 1874

Harper’s Weekly October 3, 1874

“A Day of Riot and Blood”

There is a lot of information about the battle available. For example, the September 15, 1874 issues of the New Orleans Republican and The Chicago Daily Tribune are available at the Library of Congress. Also at the Library is the September 15th issue of The New Orleans Bulletin, which seems to take a more pro-White League position but is hard to read.
In an editorial in its September 16, 1874 issue, the Richmond Daily Dispatch said that the White Leaguers should have realized that the federal government would step in to support Governor Kellogg and his administration because the federals recognized Kellogg as the winner of the election. The federal army kept the “usurper” Kellogg, “a man who ought to be hung, a villain, a traitor to his State, his country, and his race,” in office – the same thing could happen in Virginia. “The people of Louisiana could easily get rid of Kellogg if the President would keep his bands off.” States were losing their rights and becoming mere “satrapies” under the government in Washington, D.C.
In its October 3, 1874 issue Harper’s Weekly agreed that William Kellogg was a usurper, thought the federal government should have done more to try to remedy the situation before the insurrection, and wanted the U.S. to put down the uprising promptly.

The Chicago Daily Tribune September 15, 1874

Daily Dispatch September 16, 1874

Harper’s Weekly October 3, 1874

I hadn’t heard about the Battle of Liberty Place (or Battle of Canal Street) until I read Allen C. Guelzo’s review of Elizabath R. Varon’s Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South (National Review January 2024 page 54):
… Longstreet’s embrace of Reconstruction policies from 1867 to 1875 earned him abuse that he braved with soldierly steadfastness, and it even involved commanding a multi-race Louisiana militia in a pitched battle against the White League in the Canal Street coup of 1874. But it also earned him state and federal patronage appointments, and there were wide suspicions that patronage, not principle, was his guiding star. When Reconstruction in Louisiana was overthrown, Longstreet relocated to northern Georgia, but he still fished energetically for Republican favors. …
You can read a good summary of the battle at Boston Rare Maps and, at this time, see a map of the battle. More information is available at The Law Library of Louisiana and The Reconstruction Era
I googled/wikipediaed some of the participants in the battle and aftermath. In addition to Longstreet, McEnery and Penn served in the Confederate army; Kellogg, Badger, and Emory served in the Union army during the Civil War.

Canal Street c1891

Three of the quotes in the top two paragraphs in this post are from Eric Foner, [Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877. New York: HarperPerenial ModernClassics, 2014. Page 550-551.]. Most of the other information is from the same place. Boston Rare Maps says, Kellogg was “awarded victory by a Federal court.”
All the October 1874 Harper’s Weekly content is at HathiTrust.
From the Library of Congress: the September 16, 1874 issue of the Richmond Daily Dispatch – the editorial is on page 2, the reporting from New Orleans is on page 3; the September 15, 1874 issue of The Chicago Daily Tribune; the September 15, 1874 issues of the New Orleans Republican and The New Orleans Bulletin; Canal Street, c1891 and 1943; Carol M. Highsmith’s photograph of Canal Street between 1980 and 2006.

Canal Street 1943

Canal Street between 1980 and 2006

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Week, Postbellum Society, Reconstruction, The Grant Administration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

no gift

Posted on September 2, 2024 by SUMPTER

Recently, when I was searching the Library of Congress for “Labor Day,” the September 3, 1921 issue of The Labor World caught my attention. The paper headlined the ‘greatest Labor Day in history;’ and the masthead mentioned Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, the Twin Ports, way out at the end of the Great Lakes system. I remember reading about Samuel Gompers in high school social studies (I think) – the first president of the American Federation of Labor was featured in several stories in the newspaper.

The Worker

It was a big newspaper for a big Labor Day. Most issues of The Labor World were six pages at the time. The September 3rd issue was thirty-six pages full of articles, cartoons, and advertisements. A couple topics were the large number of unemployed World War I veterans and the paper’s opposition to open shops. The opinion page included a history of the holiday (image 36 at the Library of Congress) – Labor had to labor to get the holiday:

History of Labor Day

Labor Day, 1921, is the twenty-seventh annual celebration of Labor Day as a legal national holiday.
The history of Labor Day is significant of the increasing strength and progress or [sic] organized labor.
Labor Day evolved from the aspiration of the labor movement; it was-not handed down as a present. Its recognition as a legal holiday was won by labor; it was not given to labor.
The united voluntary efforts of the workers themselves established Labor Day as a national holiday long before any state legislature or the national legislature enacted the custom into statute law.
But the history of the statute law is in itself significant; it indicates the ever-increasing influence of the economic organizations of labor over the deliberations of law-makers.
The Labor Day idea was originated by P. J. McGuire, for many years first vice-president of the American Federation of Labor.
At a meeting of the New York City central labor union, held on May 8, 1882, McGuire urged the propriety of setting aside one day in the year as a general holiday for the laboring people. He suggested that it be called “Labor Day.”
The idea was adopted by the central labor union, and it staged a Labor Day parade and festival on the first Monday in September, 1882.
The A. F. of L. endorsed the national Labor Day holiday at its 1884 convention, held at Chicago.
The convention unanimously adopted the following resolution, introduced by A. C. Cameron, delegate from the Chicago trades and labor allianace [sic]:
“Resolved, That the first Monday in September of each year be set apart as a laborers’ national holiday, and that we recommend its observance by all wage workers, irrespective of sex, calling, or nationality.”
Through the activity of the state federations of labor and the central labor bodies the Labor Day demand spread from city to city and state to state.
Many municipal councils and state legislatures made it a legal holiday.
Oregon was the first state to accede to labor’s demand that Labor Day be made a state holiday. The Oregon Labor Day law was signed by the governor on February 21, 1887. The legislatures of Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York also made Labor Day a state holiday in 1887. Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania followed in 1889; Iowa and Ohio in 1890; Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington in 1891; Alabama, Louisiana, Utah and Virginia, in 1892, and California, Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Texas and Wisconsin in 1893.
In the meantime A. F. of L. officials sought congressional legislation to make Labor Day a legal holiday, in conformity with the resolution of the 1884 convention. The bill became a law ten years later. It passed congress on June 28, 1894.
On June 29,1893 [sic], President Cleveland signed the Labor Day law in the presence of Amps [Amos?] J. Cummings, representtive [sic] in congerss [sic] from
New York city. Mr. Cummings presented the pen and penholder used by President Cleveland to President Gompers.
In his annual report to the 1894 A. F. of L. convention President Gompers said:
“National Labor Day—It affords me pleasure to be able to report that the demand by the A. F. of L. for making the first Monday in Septemper [sic] of each year a legal holiday passed congress and was made a law on June 29,1894.”

Peter J. McGuire

Samuel Gompers

Amos Cummings

Here are a few clippings from the same issue of the newspaper:

closed shop secures pie

out of balance

progressive and practical labor movement

“Duluth’s oldest union man”

whole world in Labor’s hand

at Duluth’s Labor Day

According to Wikipedia, Amos J. Cummings served in the Civil War as a “sergeant major in the 26th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He earned the Medal of Honor on May 4, 1863, at Salem Heights, Virginia. His official citation reads: “Rendered great assistance in the heat of the action in rescuing a part of the field batteries from an extremely dangerous and exposed position.” His medal was not awarded until several decades later, on March 28, 1894. He was mustered out in June 1863.” According to Wikipedia, the 26th New Jersey fought in the Second Brigade, Second Division, Sixth Corps in the Army of the Potomac during the Battle of Chancellorsville. He served as a Congressman from the New York City area.
In its biography of Samuel Gompers, the AFL-CIO stressed that his racial attitudes are not accepted today: “Samuel Gompers stood for white workers of his time, often pitting them against black and Chinese workers. Under his leadership, the AFL actually reversed its position on race, disallowing black members, despite explicitly pledging to welcome them at its founding.”
I found out at the National Park Service that there is an actual “The Worker” sculpture in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Duluth’s Labor World Newspaper still exists. There was a picnic this year, too! You can read a history of The Labor World at the Library of Congress.

Samuel Gompers memorial in Washington, D.C.

From the Library of Congress: Samuel Gompers; the c1915 Bird’s-eye-view of the Twin Ports, a “Perspective map not drawn to scale”.
From Wikimedia: Peter J. McGuire and Amos J. Cummings; Bestbudbrian’s 9 May 2015 photograph of the Gompers’ memorial is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license, no changes made – here’s more about the memorial.
All the [sic]s in the article about Labor Day history above are from me.

the western end of Lake Superior

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GAR reunion

Posted on July 31, 2024 by SUMPTER

reunion site

Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson founded the Grand Army of the Republic on April 6, 1866 in Decatur Illinois. The GAR was a fraternal organization for Union soldiers, sailors, and marines who served during the Civil War. Its guiding principles were “Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty.” Many local posts were opened throughout the former Union states. On July 22, 1874 a GAR reunion was held in Paterson, New Jersey. Harper’s Weekly covered the big event in its August 8, 1874 issue:

REUNION OF VETERANS.

THE reunion of the Grand Army of the Republic took place, July 22, at Paterson, New Jersey. President GRANT, Secretary ROBESON, Governor PARKER, the Hon. W. W. PHELPS, Mayor TOWNSEND, and many other prominent public officers took part in the exercises. There were 50,000 visitors in the city, and the enthusiasm of both guests and residents was very great. There was a procession of the militia, which was lengthened by the carriages containing invited guests; 10,000 men were in line. In the afternoon there was a banquet, at which Governor PARKER, President GRANT, the Hon. W. W. PHELPS, and others made addresses, and in the evening there was a pleasant reception at Washington Hall. Our illustration on this page will give the reader a graphic idea of the procession as it passed through the principal streets of the city.

Harper’s Weekly August 8, 1874

Other newspapers acknowledged that President Grant attended the reunion and said a few words – a very few words, but other politicians took up the slack. It was intrastate trip for the president, as he arrived in Paterson from his summer retreat in Long Branch. He headed back to Long Branch the next day for a meeting with Treasury Secretary Benjamin Bristow. [August 3, 2024: I realized a couple days ago the trip wasn’t all intrastate – it was reported that President Grant stopped in New York City on the way to Paterson]

Richmond’s Daily Dispatch July 23, 1874

Worcester Daily Spy July 23, 1874

Worcester Daily Spy July 23, 1874

New Jersey railroads c1869

relaxing at Long Branch c1872

Long Branch beach ca. 1865

The paragraph and image from the August 8, 1874 issues of Harper’s Weekly comes from HathiTrust. FirozAnsari’s July 30, 2016 photograph of the Great Falls of the Passaic River in Paterson is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license
From the Library of Congress: Bird’s-eye view of Paterson, New Jersey in 1880; the July 23, 1874 issues of Richmond’s Daily Dispatch (page 1) and the Worcester Daily Spy (pages 1 and 2);New Jersey railroad map c1869 – I circled Long Branch and Paterson; part of the first family at Long Branch cottage by G. W. Pach, c1872; the surf at Long Branch, N.J. by George Stacy, ca. 1865.

The Great Falls of the Passaic River in Paterson

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Columbia’s champs

Posted on July 20, 2024 by SUMPTER

race venue

Columbia College was in the news 150 years ago this summer as its varsity rowing team won its race at an intercollegiate regatta on Saratoga Lake in New York state. The race had to be postponed twice because of choppy waters, but third time was a charm – at least the race was successfully completed, but, as Harper’s Weekly explained in its August 1, 1874 issue, the number of spectators was much smaller for the third try:

THE COLLEGE REGATTA.

THE pleasure of the Inter-collegiate Regatta this year was marred by two disappointments, one of which might have been prevented by proper management on the part of the committee. The afternoon of July 16 was the time chosen for the grand race, and long before the hour appointed for the start the shores of the lake were thronged by thousands of enthusiastic spectators, who waited impatiently for the boom of the signal-gun. Every vehicle in Saratoga and the surrounding country was pressed into service, and the hack-men and farmers made the most of their opportunity. But as the hour named for the start drew near the wind became fresh, and so roughened the surface of the lake that it was considered imprudent for the light shells to venture out. After waiting until long beyond the starting hour, the race was reluctantly postponed until the following day. The committee made the mistake of fixing upon the same hour in the afternoon, instead of choosing an hour in the forenoon, when the lake is almost always as smooth as glass. The consequence was another postponement, on account of rough weather, until darkness put an end to all possibility of a race. Warned by two failures, the committee fixed upon ten o’clock Saturday morning as the hour for starting.

a big draw

In consequence of these two postponements, there was very little interest manifested in the race on Saturday; and although the day was fair, and the lake smooth as a mirror, there were not more than fifteen thousand people present to witness the contest, and the shores of the lake wore a comparatively deserted appearance. A fair start was made at forty-six minutes after ten o’clock, all the boats getting off in good form; and after a most gallant and exciting race, Columbia came in the winner in 16 minutes 42 seconds. Close behind came the Wesleyans, in 16.50; the other boats in the order indicated in the map on the next page. There was an unfortunate collision between the Yale and the Harvard boats, in which the former lost her rudder and broke an oar. It is yet undecided where the blame lies; but the bitter feeling manifested by both crews can not be too strongly regretted. By this accident Yale was thrown out of the race. The excitement of the crowd as the winning boat crossed the line was indescribable.

The whole concourse of spectators rose on tiptoe, and cheer upon cheer went up, while the fellow-collegians and the backers of the winning crew manifested their delight by flinging up their hats, waving handkerchiefs, and cheering. The names of the winning crew are as follows:
Stroke. — B.F. REES, New York city; age, 20; height, 5 feet 8½ inches; weight, 153 pounds.
2. R.C. CORNELL, New York; age, 21; height, 5 feet 9 inches; weight, 171 pounds.
3. EDWARD S. RAPALLO, New York; age, 21; height, 6 feet; weight, 158 pounds.
4. G. GRISWOLD, New York; age, 18; height, 6 feet; weight, 158 pounds.
5. J.T. GOODWIN, New York; age, 24; height, 5 feet 11 inches; weight, 157 pounds.
Bow. — P. TIMPSON, New York; age, 22; height, 5 feet 11½ inches; weight, 158 pounds.
Averages. — Of weight, 159 pounds; of height, 5 feet 10⅔ inches; of age, 21.
Columbia’s boat is newly built, by FEARON; 49½ feet long, 21 inches wide; weighs 145 pounds. The racing dress consists of blue tights and white handkerchiefs. …
[ On July 15th Princeton beat Yale and Brown in the freshman race, and then Ansley Wilcox from Yale won the single sculls race against one Cornell oarsman and one from Harvard.]

at the finish line

In its August 8, 1874 issue Harper’s Weekly reported on a big celebration greeting the victors on their return to New York City:
THE COLUMBIA. BOYS.

Columbia champs

The Columbia boys met with an enthusiastic reception at the railway dépôt on their return from Saratoga. Crowds of eager Columbians and sympathetic friends were gathered to bid them welcome. The favorite colors, blue and white, were worn by two-thirds of the people present. When the train steamed into the dépôt the cheers of the students and their friends pealed forth in ringing tones, and the college cry, C-O-L-U-M-B-I-A, came in at the close with resonant emphasis. After the first hearty greetings and hand-shakings, a procession was formed, headed by a band of music.

The crew carried their oars aloft, each man’s name appearing on the blade of the trusty weapon which he had borne so well in the late struggle. The absent oarsman, Mr. GRISWOLD, who remained at Saratoga, was not forgotten, and his oar, garlanded with the victor blue and white, was carried along with the rest. Outside the dépôt the crew took their seats in President BARNARD’s carriage, which was waiting to receive them. It was their triumphal car, and they themselves were the heroes of the hour. Yet they bore their honors with becoming modesty, even if they were secretly proud of the ovation tendered them. The procession took its way up Forty-second Street amidst the plaudits of the spectators and the answering cheers of the Columbia boys. When near Fifth Avenue the horses were unhitched from the carriage, ropes were attached, and the eager students drew their victorious mates in triumph to the college. From the balcony President BARNARD bade the young victors an earnest welcome. Here the demonstrations were most emphatic. The college was decorated with the Columbia colors, and flags of blue and white were displayed from all the private residences in the vicinity.

After this ceremony the procession re-formed and proceeded to the Windsor Hotel, where a very pleasant reception was held. A social evening closed the triumphant festivities of the day, the various scenes of which are depicted by our artist in the illustration on the preceding page.

the preceding page

The 1874 regatta is included in A history of American College Regattas at the Library of Congress. Concerns about Saratoga being a bad choice for the regatta because of “its bad moral influence and its extravagant gaiety” were frivolous.

field expanded

course mapped

Harper’s Weekly also covered a nascent professional sport during the summer of 1874. The paper’s July 25th issue noted that two of the most successful teams from the first fully professional baseball league – the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players – would be heading to England to take on some of the best players over there. The American teams were from Boston and Philadelphia. The thumbnail below includes the base-ball paragraph and a description of Saratoga. Actually, it seems the two teams played against each other on at least one occasion in England.

Harper’s Weekly July 25, 1874

Boston champs

Athletic of Philadelphia

According to Wikipedia: 1) Rowing “is the oldest intercollegiate sport in the United States.” 2) Columbia was called King’s College from its founding in 1754 until 1784, and the college became a university in 1896. 3) Intercollegiate sports at Columbia “date to the foundation of the baseball team in 1867. Men’s association football (i.e. soccer) followed in 1870, and men’s crew in 1873. Men’s Crew was one of Columbia’s best early sports, and in 1878 the Columbia College Boat Club was the first foreign crew to win a race at the Henley Royal Regatta—considered to be Columbia’s greatest athletic achievement.” (“Columbia won the Visitors’ Challenge Cup, becoming the first foreign winners of a Henley trophy”)
From the Library of Congress: bird’s-eye view, which was used in the July 25, 1874 issue of Harper’s Weekly. I got all the other 1874 Harper’s Weekly content for this post from HathiTrust.

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Week, American Culture, Postbellum Society | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spirit in St. Louis

Posted on July 4, 2024 by SUMPTER

memorable bridge day

July 4, 1874 was a big day in the St. Louis area. People celebrated the official opening of a new bridge that connected Missouri and Illinois. The Eads Bridge was the first bridge to span the Mississippi River after its confluence with the Missouri River and “pioneered the large-scale use of steel as a structural material, leading the shift from wrought-iron as the default material for large structures.” During the the huge gala on the Fourth, the bridge’s designer and builder, James Buchanan Eads, was one of the passengers on a train that crossed the bridge from the Illinois side. On the Missouri side a procession of 100,000 people met the train. There was a magnificent fireworks display in the evening. Here’s the beginning of a very long article about the bridge and the celebration from the July 5, 1874 issue of The Chicago Daily Tribune:

ST. LOUIS BRIDGE.

Formal Inauguration of the Great
Structure Yesterday.

The Bridge a Marvel of Modern
Engineering.

A Hundred Thousand People In the
Grand Procession.

The Great Bridge Illuminated with
Fireworks at Night.

The River Crowded with Steamer-Loads
of Spectators.

History of the Enterprise—Do-
Description of the Work.

THE INAUGURATION.
Special Dispatch to The Chicago Tribune.
St. Louis, July 4.— Throughout a hundred years of lazy indifference and substantial prosperity, St. Louis has known no such gala day as this has been. Never before was there such universal enthusiasm and such a spontaneous outpouring of the people to do honor to any passing event, or to publicly rejoice over real or imaginary glory. Although the confidence of the St. Louis people in the ultimate success of the bridge enterprise has remained unshaken ever since the work was inaugurated, still no great public enthusiasm manifested itself until the completion of the first arch, since which time no topic of conversation has been so general as that of the bridge project, and as the work continued steadily to go on, and the huge superstructure gradually assumed a symmetrical form, and began to exhibit indications of tho ultimate grandeur of this groat triumph of modern engineering skill, local pride was increased proportionately, and kept on growing.

work in progress

THE CULMINATION
occurred today. For weeks past preparations have been making on a most elaborate scale for a formal opening of the bridge, and an appropriate celebration on the great national holiday. The peculiar adaptability of the bridge for the exhibition of the fireworks seems naturally to have suggested the advisability of an entertainment of this character, and arrangements were accordingly effected some weeks ago for a grand scenic display of pyrotechnics on the evening of the 4th. Soon after the adoption of this enterprise, was conceived the idea of a

A GREAT PROCESSION,
comprised of representatives of each and all of the diversified industrial interests of tho city, together with a full turn out of the various military organizations, societies, clubs, and the fire department; in a word, to have represented everything calculated to make the pageant more imposing or to do honor to the occasion. This suggestion was seized on with avidity by the public, and the various members of the Merchants’ Exchange, as also numerous private citizens of energy and liberality, which have for some days been industriously engaged in perfecting a plan of organization for the procession and the general details of the celebration. But not in St. Louis alone was this great interest felt in the bridge. For several days past the railroads and steamers have been bringing crowds of our country cousins and friends from other cities. It is thought that
FULLY 30,000 STRANGERS
are in the city to-night.

bird’s eye view of new bridge

The sun rose this morning to shed its light upon a perfect sea of bunting. Fourth street, Fifth street, and Washington avenue, and the principal thoroughfares, presented a truly magnificent scene, being hung with garlands, flags, mottoes, and inscriptions arranged in most attractive shape. The crowd began to assemble upon the streets at a very early hour, and at 9 o’clock it is no exaggeration to state that
THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE
were rushing and surging up and down the streets, pushing their way into the track of the procession, and being driven back by the police, only with truly American perversity to seek another locality and being driven back by the police, only with the American perversity to seek another locality in which to elude the vigilance of the officers and get under the hoofs of the horses or the wheels of the carts.

Tho procession formed on Washington avenue, and at 0 o’clock moved toward the bridge, led by the Marshals and a United States military company. Nearly every branch of industry, every commercial interest, seemed to have an appropriate representation. It were idle to attempt enumeration. Also all the leading societies,
clubs, and local organizations were represented.
MOTTOES, BANNERS, AND DECORATIONS INNUMERABLE
were displayed to an excited and enthusiastic throng who, from the streets, the windows, and the [t]ops of tho loftiest houses, cheered the pageant as it steadily illed [filed?]past. At the west approach of the bridge the head of the column stopped. In the meantime

A TRAIN OF FIFTEEN PULLMAN CARS,
drawn by three engines, had crossed from the east side, bringing a number of distinguished persons, [including many politicians, Capt. J. B. Eads (“architect of the bridge”), and Gen. W. S. Hancock]. Upon the meeting of the train and procession, Mr. G.B. Allen, President of the Bridge Company, introduced Mrs. Julius S. Walsh, who
CHRISTENED THE BRIDGE,
making the following remarks:

With the waters of the Atlantic, tho Pacific, the Gulf, and the Lakes commingled, emblematic of the union effected by the might spans, I christen this structure the Illinois & St. Louis Bridge, and invoke the blessings of the Almighty on it, its builders, and the commerce to which it is henceforth and forever dedicated.

After which she
SPRINKLED THE STRUCTURE
from six silver pitchers containing the various waters referred to. Water from the Northern Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans had been forwarded from Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, and New Orleans by the respective Postmasters of those cities.

After the christening came the speeches. After the addresses of welcome by Mayor Brown, Messrs. Beveridge, Woodson, Hendricks, Senator Ferry, of Michiganand others, offered appropriate remarks. Tho procession then moved on, occupying some four hours in passing, and extending in length from 12 to 14 miles.

THE FIREWORKS.
In the evening, soon after dark, the display of fireworks from the bridge began. Tho roofs of all the high buildings within three or four squares of the river were covered with people, seats having been arranged for their convenience. The levee, wharfboats, lighters, and barges were thronged with humanity, while a fleet of thirty-one river steamers and innumerable smaller boats, extending about a third of a mile below, afforded an opportunity to thousands to view the exhibition without interruption. There is no doubt that this display of pyrotechnics is the grandest thing of this kind that has been witnessed in America, and but very rarely have attempts been made in Europe to produce so grand a sight. This evening the whole heavens were at one instant aglow with a ruddy light, the next as bright as day with the most brilliant flashes, when a heavy black cloud of smoke from the fleet below, wafted by a gentle breeze from the south, cast a gloomy shadow over the whole until it passed away, and the air was again filled with thousands of particles of fire, as varied in color as the rainbow, and seemingly not less beautiful. Shortly after 9 o’clock the display from the bridge ceased, the fleet returned to the wharves, and the throng dispersed. …

spanning the Mississippi

Bridge designer and builder James B. Eads grew up in St.Louis. According to William M. Fowler, Jr., James Eads was “an expert salvager:

During the 1840s river navigation was a hazardous business and wrecks were common. The young Eads, alert to opportunities, had started a salvage business. Although he had no formal training in engineering or design, he invented and patented a diving bell and a floating pump device. These ingenious new machines allowed him to lift apparently unsalvageable wrecks. By the mid 1840s James Eads was one of the best known and wealthiest rivermen along the entire Mississippi.

Mr. Eads also contributed to the Union Civil War effort. As James M. McPherson wrote,

Eads contracted in August 1861 to construct seven shallow-draft gunboats for river work. When completed before the end of the year, these craft looked like no other vessel in existence. They were flat-bottomed, wide-beamed, and paddle-wheeled, with their machinery and crew quarters protected by a sloping casemate sheathed in iron armor up to 2.5 inches thick. Because this casemate, designed by naval constructor Samuel Pook, reminded observers of a turtle shell, the boats were nicknamed “Pook’s turtles.” Although strange in appearance, these formidable craft each carried thirteen guns and were more than a match for the few converted steamboats the South could bring against them.

four Pook’s turtles under construction by Eads’ company

working on deck of one of the four

finished product: USS Carondelet

It was a different story on Independence Day 1874 for a bridge in Lewiston, Pennsylvania. According to documentation at the Library of Congress, the bridge was destroyed by a tornado on that day.

Missouri and Mississippi rivers join

James Buchanan Eads

PA bridge collapsed on the Fourth

James Buchanan Eads is a member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. You can read a good post about James B. Eads at The Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial. A bio at PBS’s American Experience notes that “In July 1884, Britain’s Royal Society of the Arts awarded Eads the Albert Medal for ‘services he had rendered to the art of engineering.’ He was the first American to receive the honor.” The Wikipedia link in first paragraph explains that James Buchanan Eads was “named for his mother’s cousin, future President of the United States James Buchanan.” According to HistoricBridges.org, the Eads Bridge is a National Historic Landmark. HistoricBridges provides much information about the bridge, including a link to a site with even more information – Eads Bridge by David Aynardi. The bridge was damaged twice by tornadoes. See a picture of the 1896 damage here
Citations for paragraphs by Fowler and McPherson: [Fowler Jr., William M. Under Two Flags: The American Navy in the Civil War. Bluejacket Books, 2001. Print. page 130.] [McPherson, James M. The Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York: Ballantine Books, 1989. Print. page 393.]
From the Library of Congress: bridge memorial – I don’t see any evidence that President Grant was on hand for the festivities; the July 5, 1874 issue of The Chicago Daily Tribune – the bridge article is on pages 1 and 12; ribs completed; the bird’s-eye view; the completed bridge at St. Louis; upper-left section of Lloyd’s 1863 map of the Mississippi from St. Louis to the Gulf – the confluence with the Missouri is a few miles upstream from St. Louis; the portrait of James B. Eads; the collapsed bridge in Lewiston, Pennsylvania;; the great St. Louis bridge
From Naval Heritage and History Command: four boats under construction in St. Louis; working on the deck of one of the armored gunboats; USS Carondelet

still standing today

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“feeling of friendly union”

Posted on May 30, 2024 by SUMPTER

According to a northern newspaper 150 years ago, that year’s Memorial Day was going to be more inclusive – Confederate dead would be honored along with those who fought for the Union. The paper saw a similar spirit in a speech from Montgomery, Alabama on Confederate Decoration Day . From the June 6, 1874 issue of Harper’s Weekly:

DECORATION-DAY.

“First Lieutenant Thomas Goode Jones, C.S.A”

THE observance of Decoration-day will this year be peculiarly marked by tender mention of the soldiers in gray. There has never been any tone of asperity or hostility in the memorial addresses, but affection and reverence were naturally given to those whose cause was also ours. The inclusion of the dead of the lost cause in the pious services of the day will be one of those little but powerful bonds that draw the whole country together for its healing. It was the forecast of this sentiment which led Mr. SUMNER to move the erasure of the names of domestic battles from the flags of the regular army; and he did so, it will be remembered, in the second year of the war. This fact will not be forgotten in the earnest addresses which this beautiful day always calls forth. But none of the orators will express this feeling of friendly union in respect for the memory of the dead of the war more eloquently than a soldier of the other side, Major THOMAS G. JONES, who said on the late Confederate Decoration-day in Montgomery, Alabama:

“And while we ponder thus the mind carries us Northward, where the tombs — not of our dead — are whiter than the sands of the sea and more numerous than the stars in the heavens. In them lie men of the same race as ourselves — who spoke the same language and worshiped the same God. Fond mothers sent them to battle, and tender tears and agonizing prayers watched their pathway. They followed a flag that was as dear to them as was to us the ‘star-crossed banner that has long since taken its flight to greet the warrior’s soul;’ and he that worthily speaks for the dead or living must say that no feeling of hate to the Northern dead, or those who mourn them, pervades this Memorial Day! One touch of pity makes the whole world kin. From scenes like this, where the warring sections mourn their dead, let the statesman draw inspiration to guide the living.”

In its June 13, 1874 issue Harper’s Weekly highlighted a feature of Decoration Day in New York City:

DECORATION-DAY.

LINCOLN POST, No. 13, was detailed by the Grand Army of the Republic to open the ceremonies of Decoration-day in this city about the statue of ABRAHAM LINCOLN in Union Square, as represented in our illustration on page 493. The members of the Post, with a large concourse of interested spectators, assembled in the square at sunrise. The base of the statue was completely hidden in fresh foliage and flowers, with which the vases recently placed around it were also filled; and in letters of flowers were displayed the memorable words, “With charity for all, with malice toward none,” which to all future time will speak the noble and generous nature of LINCOLN. The memorial ceremonies consisted of addresses and a solemn dirge, and closed with the crowning of the statue with a wreath of laurel.

Fortunately the day was unusually fine, and in every city, town, and village throughout the length and breadth of the country the people gathered to pay their touching and beautiful tribute to the dead.

and less malice

In its May 311, 1874 issue the Nashville Union and American summarized some national Decoration Day ceremonies from a few cities around the country. Confederate graves were decorated along with those of the Union dead at New York City [06/03/2024: actually Brooklyn, which didn’t become part of NY City until 1898], Arlington, and St. Louis. President Grant attended the ceremony in Arlington; Joseph R. Hawley Joseph R. Hawley delivered the oration.
According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, Thomas Goode Jones “entered the Virginia Military Institute in the fall of 1860. Like his father, Jones supported the Confederacy, drilling volunteers in Richmond, serving with Stonewall Jackson in the Valley Campaign, aiding Georgia’s John B. Gordon, and finally marching with Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. He was wounded several times, earned promotion to major, and survived to carry a flag of truce through the lines at Appomattox.” His post-war career included stints as a state legislator, governor, and federal judge.
Wikipedia says that Confederate Memorial Day “s a holiday observed in several Southern U.S. states on various dates since the end of the American Civil War. The holiday was originally publicly presented as a day to remember the estimated 258,000 Confederate soldiers who died during the American Civil War.”

Nashville Union and American May 31, 1874 part 1

Nashville Union and American part 2

Joseph R. Hawley

The material from the June 6 and June 13, 1874 issues of Harper’s Weekly comes from HathiTrust.I got the photograph of Thomas G. Jones as a Confederate soldier from Wikipedia. From the Library of Congress: the May 31, 1874 issue of the Nashville Union and American; General Joseph R. Hawley; Carol M. Highsmith’s 2010 photograph of the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabamatitle.

State capitol in Montgomery, Alabama

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Laurels to the Chief

Posted on May 15, 2024 by SUMPTER

Harper’s Weekly May 9, 1874

The Panic of 1873 led to a long-lasting depression in Europe and North America. In early 1874 Congress passed a bill that would expand the supply of paper currency not redeemable in gold. On April 22, 1874 President Ulysses. S. Grant vetoed the measure. In its May 9, 1874 issue Harper’s Weekly lauded the veto:

THE VETO.

THE President’s veto of the inflation bill is the most important event of his administration. It saves the national honor, it redeems the pledge of the great popular majority which elected him, it renews the hope of the Republican party, and it restores the old regard of the country for the citizen whom it had so gladly honored for his great service in the field. The message has been every where considered and discussed. Every body has remarked its directness, cogency, and simplicity. It rests the objection to inflation upon the true ground. The bill sought inflation; inflation was a deliberate violation of the national faith solemnly pledged, and that faith must be maintained at all hazards. This is the clear statement of the message, and it comes from a President who has constantly urged speedy resumption. That the message was a surprise even to many of the President’s best friends is undeniable. His recent close association with many of the leading inflationists; his apparent impatience both with the New York and Boston delegations; the fact that he is a Western man, and that popular sentiment in that part of the country is represented to be strongly in favor of inflation; the fear of party results should he veto the bill — these and other considerations made his disapproval very doubtful.

The veto will have two kinds of results, political and commercial. The latter can be only good, for the reason that inflation would necessarily have destroyed confidence, and excited only a morbid and dangerous speculation. The rich man could take the risks of the game. The poor man was sure to suffer. The veto shows the President to be the friend of labor and of the producing class, whose interests are always served by financial confidence and steadiness. The political consequences are more obscure. Yet it is observable that while the inflationists have declared that expansion and irredeemable paper were the cause of the people, the great and warm expressions of public opinion, whether in public meetings, or in the press, or in the resolutions of boards and societies, and indeed in all the forms in which the feeling of a great country manifests itself, have been resolute and eloquent against inflation. The angry exclamations of some members of Congress upon the reception of the message were the natural expressions of the disappointment of warm advocates of a frustrated scheme. The debate in the Senate and the vote upon the veto are yet to come. It may show a feeling from which grave political consequences will follow. Doubtless it will be complicated with personal ambitions and rivalries, and hearty party co-operation between those who differ so radically upon so vital a point of public policy would seem to be impossible.

But the President has the happy consciousness that he is sustained by the deep conviction of the best men in his own party, by the sound and intelligent sentiment of the country, and by the recorded wisdom and experience of Christendom. At a dark and critical moment he has again served his country as few men in her history have had the opportunity to serve her. His action gives another glimpse of that quality in him which has drawn so many men toward him, and held them fast in spite of many discouragements and doubts. And if elsewhere in this paper we plainly criticise portions of his official conduct in which he seems to us to have failed, it is not with any doubt of the conviction that we have always expressed, that, whatever his failures, he is animated by a sincere and patriotic desire to do his duty.

There’s quite a bit of information out there about the Panic and resulting long depression, including from The New York Times and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The trigger for the Panic in the United States was on September 18, 1873 when the Jay Cooke & Co. bank suspended withdrawals for depositors at the bank’s New York City and Philadelphia houses. By the next day other financial firms failed. Although the government announced it would buy $10 million in bonds, on September 20th the New York Stock Exchange suspended trading for the first time in its history. The next day President Grant and Treasury Secretary William A. Richardson went to New York City to work out a solution. Many businessmen begged the president to do everything possible to increase the amount of currency in circulation. The government ended up buying $13 million in bonds.

leave it for the sweeper

Harper’s Weekly October 11, 1873

Harper’s Weekly October 18, 1873

Although the Panic subsided after about 40 days, the depression lasted for at least 5 years. The government tried to address the problem. In his December 1873 annual message to Congress, President Grant discussed the Panic in the section about the Treasury Department. I’m confused by the economics, but Grant did stress the importance of hard, metal-backed money:

“The revenues have materially fallen off for the first five months of the present fiscal year from what they were expected to produce, owing to the general panic now prevailing, which commenced about the middle of September last. The full effect of this disaster, if it should not prove a “blessing in disguise,” is yet to be demonstrated. In either event it is your duty to heed the lesson and to provide by wise and well-considered legislation, as far as it lies in your power, against its recurrence, and to take advantage of all benefits that may have accrued.

“My own judgment is that, however much individuals may have suffered, one long step has been taken toward specie payments; that we can never have permanent prosperity until a specie basis is reached; and that a specie basis can not be reached and maintained until our exports, exclusive of gold, pay for our imports, interest due abroad, and other specie obligations, or so nearly so as to leave an appreciable accumulation of the precious metals in the country from the products of our mines.

“The development of the mines of precious metals during the past year and the prospective development of them for years to come are gratifying in their results. Could but one-half of the gold extracted from the mines be retained at home, our advance toward specie payments would be rapid. …”

You can read President Grant’s veto message of the Inflation bill at The American Presidency Project. The president made it clear that he thought it was necessary to eventually return to hard money. For example, he quoted his own first annual message to Congress in December 1869: “Among the evils growing out of the rebellion, and not yet referred to, is that of an irredeemable currency. It is an evil which I hope will receive your most earnest attention. It is a duty, and one of the highest duties, of Government to secure to the citizen a medium of exchange of fixed, unvarying value. This implies a return to a specie basis, and no substitute for it can be devised. It should be commenced now and reached at the earliest practicable moment consistent with a fair regard to the interests of the debtor class. Immediate resumption, if practicable, would not be desirable. It would compel the debtor class to pay, beyond their contracts, the premium on gold at the date of their purchase, and would bring bankruptcy and ruin to thousands.”

President Grant’s veto was sustained. In 1875 Congress passed the Species Resumption Act, which required the government to “retire Greenbacks (currency not backed by gold) and committed the government to reinstate the gold standard in four years” (Liberty Street Economics). “By pegging the dollar against hard currency, the act helped curb inflation, tame speculation and produce a stable dollar. It turned the Republican Party toward a stance of conservative fiscal policies” (The NY Times article).

Tompkins Square riot

Harper’s Weekly May 9, 1874

Harper’s Weekly May 16, 1874

The best I can make out is that people referred to the legislation as “the inflation bill” because its purpose was to increase the money supply. In his December 1873 message, President Grant was concerned that the increased money supply could lead to price inflation: “To increase our exports sufficient currency is required to keep all the industries of the country employed. Without this national as well as individual bankruptcy must ensue. Undue inflation, on the other hand, while it might give temporary relief, would only lead to inflation of prices, the impossibility of competing in our own markets for the products of home skill and labor, and repeated renewals of present experiences. Elasticity to our circulating medium, therefore, and just enough of it to transact the legitimate business of the country and to keep all industries employed, is what is most to be desired. The exact medium is specie, the recognized medium of exchange the world over. That obtained, we shall have a currency of an exact degree of elasticity. If there be too much of it for the legitimate purposes of trade and commerce, it will flow out of the country. If too little, the reverse will result. To hold what we have and to appreciate our currency to that standard is the problem deserving of the most serious consideration of Congress. …”

The Emporia News May 15, 1874 part 1

The Emporia News May 15,1874 part 2

I got all the Harper’s Weekly material from Hathi Trust, 1873 and 1874. John A. Dix is mentioned in the top cartoon. According to Eric Foner, he was a hard money man: New York’s “elderly Gov. John A. Dix, a hard money fanatic who carried a few gold coins in his pocket, ‘occasionally refreshing himself with a look at them.'” [Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877. New York: HarperPerenial ModernClassics, 2014. Page 522.] Also according to Mr. Foner, most business interests favored Grant’s veto of the inflation bill, but “among Eastern ‘men of note,’ only the iconoclastic Benjamin F. Butler voiced dissent.”[Ibid.]. Grant as guard dog showed him protecting the U.S. Treasury from Wall Street.
President Grant’s Fifth Annual Message and his message vetoing the Inflation bill are available at Project Gutenberg (A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents. Volume 7, part 1: Ulysses S. Grant (if you search “inflation” you will find his December 1873 annual message).
From the Library of Congress: the sweeper from the September 29, 1873 issue of The Daily Graphic; I got the image of the Tompkins Square riot at Wikimedia – they got it from the Library, the image is from Frank Leslie’s illustrated newspaper, 1874 Jan. 31, p. 344, the image’s caption is “The red flag in New York – riotous Communist workingmen driven from Tompkins Square by the mounted police, Tuesday, January 13th”, the riot involved many of those unemployed by the Panic. In its May 15, 1874 issue The Emporia Times referred to the Cincinnati Gazette as saying that the inflation that was needed was not in paper currency but in the amount of crops grown by U.S. farmers – Europe would be a ready market for any surplus production.

Harper’s Weekly May 9, 1874

Posted in 150 Years Ago, Postbellum Politics, Postbellum Society, The Grant Administration | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

no foolin’

Posted on April 12, 2024 by SUMPTER

April 1865: Libby prison in Richmond

Libby Prison was one of the places in Richmond. Virginia where the Confederate government housed Yankee prisoners. Last year I was surprised while glancing through a newspaper at the Library of Congress. I noticed what seemed to be an advertisement for Libby. The paper was published 28 years after the war ended. How could that be?

The National Tribune July 20, 1893 on page 3

As it turned out, the ad was for Libby Prison Museum in Chicago. And the museum was really Libby Prison, the same building that was in Richmond during the war. According to Chicagology, a group of Chicago businessmen bought the prison in 1888. They had it disassembled (600,000 bricks), shipped to Chicago, and then reassembled on Wabash Avenue. The museum housed Civil War artifacts and memorabilia, as well as some other exhibits. The museum operated until sometime in the late 1890’s when Libby was again disassembled. A new coliseum was built on the museum site.

c1992: Libby Prison in Chicago

According to the Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal one of the leaders of the Libby project was Charles F. Gunther (aka “The Candy Man” and “The P.T. Barnum of Chicago”). When he was a boy, Gunther and his family moved to the United States from Germany. The family originally lived in the north, but Charles moved to Memphis around 1860 when he was about 23. He worked for an ice dealer, but

“Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, he was employed as purchasing agent and purser of the steamer “Rose Douglas” in the Confederate Service. Being captured when blockaded in the Arkansas River by Federal gunboats in Van Buren, Arkansas, ‘he was released in a prisoner exchanged and made his way north until he finally reached Peru [Illinois].'”

Mr. Gunther gradually became involved in the candy business and became a confectioner. Although his original building (with some rare artifacts) was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire, he eventually became very successful and purchased more Civil War (and other) memorabilia. Many of these artifacts were displayed in the Libby museum until Gunther decided to build a new coliseum on the museum site.

at the museum – tree stumps embedded with shells

shot and shell on display at Libby Museum

The Candy Man

There is a lot of information out there about the prison museum. Here are some examples. In a November 1994 American Heritage article William B. Meyer is critical of the commercial nature of Libby museum venture. You can see more photos at James E. Arsenault & Company; one of the pictures presumably shows a tour guide. The Chicago Time Machine – “The museum hired Civil War veterans as guides and displayed genuine Civil War artifacts alongside items of potentially dubious provenance – such as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (said to be the home of the character that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe), or what was alleged to be a snakeskin from the Garden of Eden.” Chicago History Resources’ The Bloody Evidence includes a bit more about Charles Gunther’s service on the Rose Douglas.

1889 museum catalogue

“132 twenty-ton cars”

just a few of the artifacts

From the Library of Congress: Libby photographed in Richmond April 1863; the July 20, 1893 issue of The National Tribune – the Libby ad is on page 3; the c.1892 photo of the street view of the museum from Views of Chicago – Libby Prison is behind the castle-like wall, the photo is number 99 in the book; War logs; Prisoners Reception Room’s shot and shell; there are three museum catalogs at the Library – the thumbnails above are from the 1889 catalog – cover, describing the move, partial list of the artifacts; the prison museum

From Wikipedia: the image of Charles F. Gunther

On Wabash Ave – prison behind the castle front

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